Robert b



(No Model.)

B.. B. PITGMRN.

Patented May 6, 1890.

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UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT B. PITOAIR, OF NEV YORK, N. Y.

FOUNTAIN-PEN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 427,358, dated May 6, 1890.

Application filed June l5, 1889. Serial No. 314,342. (No model.)

.To all whom, it may concer-n:

Be it known that I, ROBERT B. PITCAIRN, of the city and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Fountain-Pens, of which the following is a specification.

Fountain-pens have heretofore been constructed with a reservoir for holding the ink and a movable tube for the ink to. pass down to the concave side of the pen, there being an opening at one side of the tube adjacent to the pen. In pens of this character diiiiculty has arisen in consequence of the ink passing up in the concave of the pen between the pen and the tube, and accumulating to such an extent that the pen causes a blot when writing with it, and another difficulty has arisen in consequence of the pen springing away from the side of the tube when in use to suoli an extent that the ink iows too freely down to the nibs of the pen, and in attempting to cure these difficulties the admission of air to the fountain has been interfered with in some instances to such an extent that the supply of ink is interfered With.

My present invention is made -for remedying these defects and difficulties, and relates to the peculiar construction of the supplytube and of a swinging tongue that is Within such supply-tube and rests against the interior of the pen.

In the drawings, Figure l is a longitudinal section of the pen complete. Fig. 2 is a section of the cap. Fig. 3 is a detached view of the supply-tube sectionally. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 5 is a-detached seotional view of the spring-tongue, and Fig. (5 is a plan of the same.

The reservoir or fountain A is a tube closed at one end and having a removable tubular plug B at the other end, the forward portion. of which plug is adapted to receive the pen O, and within the plug B is a supply-tube D, which fits the interior of the plug B sufficiently tight to prevent ink passing upon the outside of the tube D, but this tube D can be slipped along within the plug B so that the lateral opening at 2 in this supply-tube D is in the proper position to the pen O. The supply-tube D has a closed and curved end 3, the opening 2 being at one side of said supply-tube, and at 4 there is a ridge upon the side of the supply-tube fitting closely the interior or concave side of the pen C, in order that the ink may not pass above this ridge 4, and this ridge 4 insures sufficient space between the interior of the pen and the surface of the supply-tube D to prevent the ink ascending into such space by the capillary action.

Within the supply-tube D is a springtongue E, which tongue is prefer. bly of thin material-such as hard rubber flexible, and it is of a sufficient width to extend across the interior of the supply-tube D, and be held by friction thereof, and this tongue E is to be pushed along within the supply-tube D until the Inoving end of such tongue is adjacent to or projects slightly below the extreme end of the supply-tube D, and theshape of this spring-tongue E is such that this end remains in contact with the interior of the pen C, near the upper portion of the longitudinal split or incision in such pen, so that the tongue springs With the nibs of the pen in the Writing operation, and it is preferable to make use of an elliptical hole 5 through the tongue, near the end thereof, in order that the ink may pass to the pen from either side of the tongue as it lies longitudinally within the supply-tube D. It will be now understood that during the Writing operation the end of the spring-tongue E vibrates laterally Within the opening 2 of the supply-tube, and it has a twofold action, which holds the ink properly in the concavel side of the pen by capillary action and prevents the flow of ink being too rapid and causing a blot in the Writing, and When the quantity of ink within the pen becomes too and very sniall a bubble of air will pass in between the extreme end of the supply-tube D and the under side of the spring-tongue E, and this bubble of air, rising into the reservoir or fountain, displaces suflicient ink for properly supplying the pen, and these operations continue While the pen is in use.

I claim' as my inventionl. The combination, with the reservoir 0r fountain in a fountain-pen, of the supply- IOO 2. The combination, With the reservoir or fountain and the supply-tube having an opening in one side thereof, of a thin springtongue Within the supply-tube, supported at its rear end by the frietionai Contact of its edges with the interior of the supply-tube,

and having a free Curved spring end resting against the interior of the pen, substantially as set forth.

The `combination, with the fountain or reservoir, of a supply-tube having a closed lower end, an opening 2 in one side and a ridge at 4, and the spring-tongue E, of thin Sheet material, having a Curved end to project through the opening 2 and rest against the pen, and a perforation through the tongue, near the end thereof, substantially as set forth.

Signed by me this 13th day of June, 1889.

ROBERT B. PITCAIRN.

Vitnesses:

GEO. T. PINCKNEY, WILLIAM G. MoTT. 

